Fuel dispensing nozzles are utilized to deliver fuel into the fuel tank of a vehicle through a fill opening in the tank. Such nozzles typically include a main body portion, a spout connected and carried by the main body portion for insertion into the fill opening of the fuel tank on the vehicle and a connector portion for connecting the nozzle onto the outer end of a hose which delivers fuel from the pump to the nozzle. The main body portion includes a fuel passageway therethrough and a main poppet valve disposed within the passageway for controlling the dispensing of fuel through the nozzle.
Heretofore, the main body portion of the nozzle has been structured and configured such that the portion thereof opposite the spout serves as the handle for the nozzle and the user manipulates the nozzle by grasping the handle portion of the main body of the nozzle. An operating lever is pivotally mounted on the main body portion of the nozzle beneath the handle portion thereof. In such configuration, the main valve extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle and the stem of the poppet valve extends outwardly and downwardly through the wall of the main body portion into position to be engaged by the trigger. Accordingly, when a user pulls upwardly on the operating lever the main poppet valve is opened and fuel is dispensed through the nozzle into the fuel tank of the vehicle.
With such prior fuel dispensing nozzles, fuel frequently runs down the spout and onto the main body portion of the nozzle and coats the handle portion. A user then has his or her hand soiled by such fuel. Additionally, the design of the nozzle makes the same difficult to manipulate from the hanger on the pump to the proper attitude for insertion of the spout into the fill opening of the vehicle fuel tank because such manipulation requires substantial flexing of the wrist.
Another major disadvantage of such prior fuel dispensing nozzles is impediments to the free flow of fuel through the fuel passageway in the nozzle because of several abrupt changes in direction and various operating mechanisms for the valves that are disposed within the fuel flow path. These changes in direction and obstructions significantly impede the flow of fuel through the nozzle and result in a higher pump pressure than would otherwise be required.
Environmental rules and regulations dictate that fuel dispensing nozzles in certain locations include the facility to recover fuel vapors that are displaced from the vehicle fuel tank as fuel is dispensed thereinto. Heretofore such vapor recovery nozzles have taken one of two forms. One form utilizes a flexible boot which surrounds the spout of the nozzle and defines a vapor recovery passageway externally of the spout and internally of the boot. This nozzle relies entirely upon the pressure of the fuel filling the vehicle tank to displace and force the vapor outwardly through the vapor recovering passageway within the flexible boot and back into the underground tank.
The second form of vapor recovery nozzle has the vapor recovery passageway disposed within the spout and such vapor recovery passageway is provided by a concentric tube mounted within the fuel dispensing spout. Such vapor recovery nozzles rely upon a vacuum assist for removal of the vapors from the vehicle fuel tank and the return of such vapors into the underground fuel tank. In addition to the fabrication difficulties posed by constructing the spout with concentric tubes or conduits, such prior nozzles typically have the vacuum assist operating on all nozzles attached to a particular pump if any one nozzle of that pump is in use. Such operation requires a much larger vacuum assist pump and wastes power.
Typically, fuel dispensing nozzles also include a shut-off mechanism which will interrupt the dispensing of fuel into the vehicle fuel tank when the tank is full. This safety feature prevents spillage of fuel onto the ground and contamination of both the air and the soil. Such shut-off mechanisms typically include a venturi device within the main body portion of the nozzle which is connected to the outer end of the spout by an internal passageway within the spout. In use, the flow of fuel through the nozzle creates a partial vacuum in this shut-off passageway which draws vapor out of the fuel tank, which continues so long as fuel is being dispensed and the shut-off passageway remains open. However, when the outer end of this shut-off passageway is blocked by fuel within the vehicle fuel tank, the flow of vapor ceases and the vacuum evacuates a chamber within the nozzle which causes the lever linkage to be disabled and permits the closing of the main poppet valve to interrupt the flow of fuel through the nozzle into the vehicle fuel tank.
As was the case with the vapor recovery tube or conduit, the shut-off passageway is typically a separate tube or conduit mounted within the spout. Such fabrication of the spout is labor intensive, time consuming and expensive.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel dispensing nozzle that overcomes the disadvantages and deficiencies of prior fuel dispensing nozzles.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a fuel dispensing nozzle that is more user friendly and which is safer and more environmentally protective than prior fuel dispensing nozzles.